Parker played it cool.

“It’s an open practice,” he told the Herald. “I just needed a place to eat my lunch and write out our practice plan. It was a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, onion and honey mustard. Very healthy.”

Thus, the rivalry stewpot was stirred with an itty-bitty ladle and another chapter was added to the short but eventful history of Mazzoleni and Parker.

Now, though, it seems they’re brushing off Sandwichgate like breadcrumbs off their laps.

They’ll say tonight’s game isn’t about cold cuts, that it’s instead about whose team will gain the upper hand in one of college hockey’s greatest—and closest—non-conference rivalries.

And they’re probably right. Maybe what happened in March was exactly what Parker said it was—something for the media to have fun with on an off day before the tournament started.

Still, no one can question that it’s fun to have some intrigue on top of everything else that goes along with a Harvard-BU game.

After all, every good rivalry can stand to have a little more spice…or honey mustard, depending on what you’re having for lunch.

Bear Market

Harvard’s season-opening clunker against Brown is looking more like a loss to a high-quality opponent than a bad loss.

The Bears have won three of four games since and are in first place in the ECAC with a 4-1 mark, following last weekend’s sweep of Princeton and Yale by a combined score of 11-1.

With those two victories, Brown improved to an eye-popping 19-2-5 in its last 26 home games. In other words, it has lost twice at home since Jan. 11, 2002.

This is worth repeating: Brown has lost twice at home in about two years.

“I don’t think a lot of people realize that,” Brown coach Roger Grillo said. “The guys take a lot of pride in what they do in our building. There’s really a positive feeling there.”

Yann Danis (0.80 GAA, .970 save percentage) has been predictably dominant, but the key for the Bears thus far has been balanced scoring. While only five players averaged a half-point per game or more last season, they have eight such scorers this season, including junior Les Haggett, who has five points in his first two games back from injury.